Christine left the Air Force in 2014 under the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP). At the time, she and her husband were both serving in the military, and they were concerned about the long-term prospects of progressing two military careers simultaneously. With VSP there was a monetary incentive and she decided to leave the military and take the incentive rather than waiting for the possibility of being stationed separately and leaving the military without compensation.
Game changer for getting a Job After Military Separation
One piece of advice that military members are often given when preparing to leave the military is to build a network. Christine’s transition story shows the importance of building a network. Shortly after finding out her application to separate had been accepted, she was contacted by a colleague from her unit and recruited to work at Modern Technology Solutions, Inc (MTSI). Christine said, “It was very much right place/right time situation as a new position was being created and my future boss had heard through the grapevine that I was separating. I had a job offer before I even started terminal leave and have happily been with [MTSI] ever since.”
Christine continues to work with MTSI even with her husband serving in the military. They have PCS’ed to three different assignments in the seven years she has worked with them, and each time she has been able to move with MTSI. She said, “My company has been very committed to keeping me on board and has worked with me personally to ensure I find a position that is a good fit for me, a place I can continue to grow and learn while supporting DoD.
Navigating the Military and Contractor Differences
And even though working as a contractor has been great for Christine and her family, it is not always easy. Working for a government contractor will mean meeting the needs of your clients – a new feeling for someone accustomed to being the client. One of the challenges of leaving the government to work as a contractor is switching roles and mindsets. This can mean not being selected as the prime contractor – even though you know that your company is the best-qualified candidate. It can also mean having to meet the military-created contract timeline that may not be what you would prefer or feel is best. These are situations that service members do not have the experience of feeling while serving in the government.
But that does not mean it is all bad and the switch from service member to a contractor isn’t a good one. Christine said, “From a personal perspective, I really do love contractor life. I’ve found that for me personally, being out of uniform is better suited to my desires for work/life balance, especially as a mom now (no looming deployments, no need to check all the various boxes to keep moving up in a career you have no control over, no PT test). And I love that I can still contribute to the DoD even though I’m not in uniform anymore.”
Advice for the Military Transition
When I asked Christine for advice for those who are about to transition, she said, “Network, network, network! My current role was made possible due to a wonderful mentor who took the time to get to know me and match me with an open position that I would have never considered in my reach without his encouragement.” Find ways to connect as you’re making your military transition – you never know how it will change your trajectory.
